Apotheosis of Prior Manoel de Vilhena
Relief
1727-29 (made)
1727-29 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Tuscan sculptor and medallist, Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (1656-1740) trained in Florence, Rome and Paris. Immediately after his return to Florence in 1684, he entered the Mint, where he also had a bronze workshop and foundry. In 1688, he was appointed Master of the Mint (Maestro dei Coni e Custode della Zecca), a post he held for over three decades. Soldani became famous for his refined and precisely modelled bronze statuettes and sculptures, which were much appreciated and sought-after by the Medici, European monarchs and by British Grand Tourists.
Although he never travelled to Malta, Soldani spent several years (1722-1929) creating two bronze tombs for the church of St John in La Valetta for Grand Master Marcantonio Zondadari (1658-1722) and then for Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1663-1736). When Soldani started working on the first Maltese tomb in 1722, he had just left his post at the Mint and handed the direction to his assistant Lorenzo Maria Webber. The bronze sculptures were both modelled and cast in Florence and shipped by boat from Leghorn to La Valetta to be installed by the Florentine sculptor Francesco Cerroti.
Interestingly, whereas Zondadari had been represented on the tomb reclining in full-length, Vilhena had specifically asked that his bust only should be shown on the monument. For this, Soldani received a terracotta portrait in 1726 from which he could work in order to execute the bronze bust for the tomb. The front of the sarcophagus on Vilhena’s monument is ornated with an allegoric presentation of Fort Manoel to the Grand Master.
The present terracotta relief depicting the Apotheosis of Antonio Manoel de Vilhena is clearly related to this commission and can be dated around 1727-1729. The composition was probably meant to be cast in bronze, although no such cast is known. However, it can’t be considered a preliminary study for the sarcophagus relief. The vertical composition of the V&A relief shows the Bust of Grand Master Vilhena being carried to the allegory of Eternity.
Although he never travelled to Malta, Soldani spent several years (1722-1929) creating two bronze tombs for the church of St John in La Valetta for Grand Master Marcantonio Zondadari (1658-1722) and then for Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1663-1736). When Soldani started working on the first Maltese tomb in 1722, he had just left his post at the Mint and handed the direction to his assistant Lorenzo Maria Webber. The bronze sculptures were both modelled and cast in Florence and shipped by boat from Leghorn to La Valetta to be installed by the Florentine sculptor Francesco Cerroti.
Interestingly, whereas Zondadari had been represented on the tomb reclining in full-length, Vilhena had specifically asked that his bust only should be shown on the monument. For this, Soldani received a terracotta portrait in 1726 from which he could work in order to execute the bronze bust for the tomb. The front of the sarcophagus on Vilhena’s monument is ornated with an allegoric presentation of Fort Manoel to the Grand Master.
The present terracotta relief depicting the Apotheosis of Antonio Manoel de Vilhena is clearly related to this commission and can be dated around 1727-1729. The composition was probably meant to be cast in bronze, although no such cast is known. However, it can’t be considered a preliminary study for the sarcophagus relief. The vertical composition of the V&A relief shows the Bust of Grand Master Vilhena being carried to the allegory of Eternity.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Apotheosis of Prior Manoel de Vilhena (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded terracotta. |
| Brief description | Relief, terracotta, Allegory of Fra Manoel de Vilhena, by Massimilliano Soldani Benzi, Italy (Florence), 1727-1729 |
| Physical description | The relief depicts the figure of Neptune with his sea horses and his feet on a dolphin; he is flanked by Cybele with her lion. Behind them hangs a shield with the cross of the Order of Malta. On the bottom left corner, two mermen are holding a plan of Fort Manoel. Above, the female allegory of Eternity shown with the attribute of the coiled snake is receiving the portrait bust of Manoel da Vilhena held aloft by an eagle, together with a sword and a helmet borne by putti. To the right, the figure of Time is being repelled. |
| Dimensions |
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| Historical context | Technical research has shown that the V&A terracotta relief has not been modelled as one would expect but cast. The relief was made up of numerous individual parts, the soft clay was pressed into negative moulds with the fingers, then re-joined together on a clay slab that formed the background. The use of moulds in the production allowed Soldani to reuse elements in different compositions, varying poses and details as necessary. Furthermore, the clay model made of different sections could be taken apart and cast in bronze separately, then mechanically assembled. The use of this technique explains the existence of several versions of this composition in terracotta and in wax. The same section moulds, originating from a common model, were used to pour the wax or to press the clay. The other terracotta was formerly in the Sackler Collection (Sotheby’s New York, 29 January 2010, lot 467; 59.7 x 37.5 cm.) Two wax versions are also in existence. The first belongs to the Ginori collection, Florence and has been known for a long time (Lankheit 1962, p. 160, fig. 107). It was acquired by Marquess Carlo Ginori when he was building up his collection of models for the Doccia Porcelain Manufactory. The second version, now in the LACMA, Los Angeles (64.5 x 39.4 cm), seems to have been sent by Soldani to Vilhena who then gave if to Father Paul Alpheran, Bishop of Malate and Secretary to Manoel da Vilhena (see Sotheby’s London, 7 July 1994, lot 120). Although a wax sculpture cast in a mould shrinks very little, a terracotta sculpture, by contrast, would shrink noticeably as water evaporated during drying. This therefore accounts for the smaller dimensions of the terracotta versions. |
| Summary | Tuscan sculptor and medallist, Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (1656-1740) trained in Florence, Rome and Paris. Immediately after his return to Florence in 1684, he entered the Mint, where he also had a bronze workshop and foundry. In 1688, he was appointed Master of the Mint (Maestro dei Coni e Custode della Zecca), a post he held for over three decades. Soldani became famous for his refined and precisely modelled bronze statuettes and sculptures, which were much appreciated and sought-after by the Medici, European monarchs and by British Grand Tourists. Although he never travelled to Malta, Soldani spent several years (1722-1929) creating two bronze tombs for the church of St John in La Valetta for Grand Master Marcantonio Zondadari (1658-1722) and then for Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1663-1736). When Soldani started working on the first Maltese tomb in 1722, he had just left his post at the Mint and handed the direction to his assistant Lorenzo Maria Webber. The bronze sculptures were both modelled and cast in Florence and shipped by boat from Leghorn to La Valetta to be installed by the Florentine sculptor Francesco Cerroti. Interestingly, whereas Zondadari had been represented on the tomb reclining in full-length, Vilhena had specifically asked that his bust only should be shown on the monument. For this, Soldani received a terracotta portrait in 1726 from which he could work in order to execute the bronze bust for the tomb. The front of the sarcophagus on Vilhena’s monument is ornated with an allegoric presentation of Fort Manoel to the Grand Master. The present terracotta relief depicting the Apotheosis of Antonio Manoel de Vilhena is clearly related to this commission and can be dated around 1727-1729. The composition was probably meant to be cast in bronze, although no such cast is known. However, it can’t be considered a preliminary study for the sarcophagus relief. The vertical composition of the V&A relief shows the Bust of Grand Master Vilhena being carried to the allegory of Eternity. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.13:1-1967 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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